Admission to Candidacy — Masters or Specialist Degree

The Admission to Candidacy application, when approved, is a contract between a student and the university, establishing the coursework required to graduate with a degree in their chosen program. Once the application has been submitted and approved, any later changes to the degree requirements for a program will not apply to the candidate. If for any reason (class unavailability, etc.), a course listed on this application cannot be completed, the candidate may submit a Revised Admission to Candidacy form. These revisions will need to be approved by the candidate’s major professor.

You may submit this application after completing nine hours of graduate coursework with a 3.0 average or better. You must submit the application no later than the last day of classes preceding the term in which you expect to graduate (see current deadline dates).Note that the Admission to Candidacy application must be submitted before you will be allowed to complete your final examination.

Instructions

Obtain a copy of your academic history from the Registrar’s Office, your academic department, or the Graduate School.

List in chronological order the graduate coursework you will apply toward your degree, paying close attention to the requirements for your major. Check the current Graduate Catalog and consult your major professor to ensure that you meet the requirements for your degree.

Print the form and sign where indicated. Obtain the signatures of your committee chair, your committee members, and the graduate program director.

Bring the signed form (with original signatures) to the Graduate School at the address above. If you are having difficulty getting original signatures, please contact the Graduate School at 865-974-2475 (gradschool@utk.edu), and we can help find a solution.

You should submit your graduation application through MyUTK by the same deadline date as the Admission to Candidacy, the last day of classes preceding the term in which you expect to graduate (see current deadline dates).

At this time, the Graduate School cannot accept this form electronically. Please be sure to deliver the form with original signatures to the Graduate School's main office. Do not submit faxed, e-mailed, scanned, or photocopied versions of this form to the Graduate School.